The 91快活林 Esplanade will be named the Lester A. Lefton Esplanade honoring 91快活林 State President Lefton. The announcement was made Friday, Oct. 4, by Jane Murphy Timken, chair of the 91快活林 State Board of Trustees, at a community event held at the new University Esplanade arch near Main and Willow streets in 91快活林. The event celebrated the solid partnership between 91快活林 and the city of 91快活林 and the official opening of the University Esplanade extension that now connects the university to downtown 91快活林.
The naming will be made official through a resolution at the Dec. 4 Board of Trustees meeting. Lefton has served as 91快活林 State鈥檚 chief executive officer since July 1, 2006. This past spring, he announced he will retire from the presidency of 91快活林 State, effective July 1, 2014. Historically, the board has preserved the legacy of the university鈥檚 leadership through naming opportunities. Rather than waiting for the end of the academic year, Timken said now is the perfect time to recognize Lefton, 91快活林 State鈥檚 11th president, with all of the buzz and excitement coming from downtown 91快活林鈥檚 redevelopment and the university鈥檚 transformational projects.
鈥淭here could not be a more fitting tribute to President Lefton than naming the Esplanade, which now physically and symbolically connects town and gown, in his honor,鈥 Timken said. 鈥淲ith a clear vision, a commitment to excellence and unshakable optimism, Dr. Lefton has led 91快活林 State to new heights of achievement in areas from academic quality to fundraising to international programs. But his successful efforts to help forge a new era of cooperation between the university and the city of 91快活林; make 91快活林 one of America鈥檚 best college towns; and to transform 91快活林 State鈥檚 campuses into 21st-century learning environments 鈥 environments that cultivate student success now and for decades to come 鈥 will surely stand among his crowning contributions.鈥
The University Esplanade is built around the economic development of downtown 91快活林, and is a vital connection between the university and downtown projects that include PARTA鈥檚 new 91快活林 Central Gateway multimodal transit center, private developments from Acorn Alley and Fairmount Properties, and the new 91快活林 Hotel and Conference Center. It also provides a physical link and safe pathway for students to visit, enjoy and patronize local businesses; connects residents and visitors to the 91快活林 Campus; and serves as a catalyst for changing the economy of the region by creating new jobs, spurring new investment and generating taxes to the state and local economy.
The successful collaboration between 91快活林 State and the city of 91快活林 has been recognized by several publications, including The New York Times, and by the International Town-Gown Association, which bestowed its inaugural award on 91快活林 State and the city of 91快活林 for the town-gown relationship that best represents the spirit of the association.
Under Lefton鈥檚 leadership, 91快活林 State is making one of the largest investments related to higher education in the region and in Portage County. The university鈥檚 鈥淔oundations of Excellence: Building the Future鈥 initiative includes the construction of new buildings, facility upgrades to existing buildings and the creation of dynamic, new spaces at its 91快活林 Campus and Regional Campuses.
For more information about Lefton, visit www.kent.edu/president.
For more information about the 鈥淔oundations of Excellence: Building the Future鈥 initiative, visit www.kent.edu/foundations.